Dramatic progress has recently been made in the field of nanotechnology which has created greatly increased demand in the manipulation of small particles on nanometer to micrometer-sized geometries. For example, it is frequently desirable to form temporary and also permanent bonds which are on a very small scale. This can, for example, be problematic simply because of the small size scale or where the objects to be joined do not normally adhere, or where fusing the objects to establish a bond would involve undesirable chemical or physical changes of state.